Winter Warmer: Apple & Blackberry Crumble.

After our brunch at La Campagna at the Drove Orchards in Norfolk, we ended up having a quick nose around the wonderful farm shop there. Eating local seems to be my new thing in more recent months and I love a good farm shop. Being on an orchard meant that the shop was full to the brim with apples. With all different sizes and varieties to choose from, we went for the 'seconds' barrow and were able to fill up a whole carrier bag for just £1, I only filled half a bag but was offered to add more once I'd paid (such lovely Norfolkian hospitality).





Thanks to a few over-enthusiastic blackberry picking trips, the Drove Orchards' farm shop and that silly storm, last week was the perfect time to get to work on perfecting an apple and blackberry crumble.

Usually, I'll put my hands up and readily admit to just picking up a packet of crumble mix, but I was feeling a little more ambitious and figured it couldn't be that hard to make it from scratch, so that's exactly what I did.

Good ol' Pinterest is to thank for the crumble recipe but the guess-work of the filling was all my own. I also added a few rolled oats to the top just to add a little something more to it.



Ingredients
Crumble Topping

• 3 oz brown caster sugar
• 3 oz plain flour
• 3 oz butter
• A handful of rolled oats

Filling

• 3 medium-sized apples
• A couple of handfuls of frozen blackberries
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:

1. Add the flour, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and cream/blend together until they have a crumbley consistency
2. Add all your fruit to your dish, squeeze over lemon juice and sprinkle your sugar
3. Put your fruit in the oven on a medium heat for around 20 minutes - at the halfway point give it a stir
4. Once your fruit is cooked and your apples have soaked up some blackberry juice, cover your fruit in the crumble mixture - this is where I sprinkled on the rolled oats
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the crumble is golden

Doll's always so appreciative of my baking.




I was quite surprised by how easy this was to make, and I'm so pleased that I'll be able to put all that extra fruit to use. This will definitely be a staple as it gets colder and more drizzly.
I think if I were to make it again, I'd definitely add a bit more fruit as this crumble was a little flat, it did make four comfortable portions for Moon and I though so I'm a little reluctant to change at the same time.

Do you have any go-to winter warmers now that the nights are drawing in?